Rail fastener



I illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

Patented Nov. 20, 1923. v

UNITED STATES v were? PATENT OFFICE.

EMERY M. HOVICKER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 J. F. MOVICKER,

0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

RAIL FASTENER.

Application filed October 15, 1921. Serial No. 507,912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMERY.M. MoVIoKEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rail Fasteners, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to rail fasteners.

One object of the present invention is the provision of an improved rail fastener of simplified construction.

Another object is the provision of a rail fastener capable of ready adjustment to take up the play that sometimes develops under the severe side thrusts produced upon the rail during continued use.

Other objects and advantages will later appear. A

Two embodiments of the invention are in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a rail fastener constructed in accordance with the present invention and applied to a rail of standard form.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Flgure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a rail fastener of somewhat different form but "embodying certain .novel features of the present invention. 7

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the rail fastener of Figure 4:.

Figure 7 is aperspective view of the rail securing clip employed in the rail fastener of Figures 4 to 6.

The rail fastener illustrated in Figures 1 003 includes a tie. plate 10 mounted upon a tie 11 and positioned beneath a rail 12 of standard form. The tie plate consists of a plate of hard tough metal of substantial thickness and preferably of rectangular form and of such length as to extend beyond.

both sides of the rail base. Each end of the plate is provided with upstanding shoulders by bending 11 certain portions 1 10f the side edges thereo along lines 15 whichextend lengthwise of the plate and hence in a direction substantially normal to or transversely of the rail base when in use. Before the bending operation or sin'iultaneously therewith, the bent up portions are sheared or otherwise severed om the remainder of the side edges so that the resulting shoulders 13 present substantially flat bearing surfaces for s uarely meeting the side thrusts of the rail. Thus it will be seen that a simple, yet very rigid, structure is provided which is well adapted to sustain the severe strains to which such devices are commonly subjected.

These shoulders13 are arranged preferably in pairs, spaced apart a distance somewhat reater than the width of the rail base. 11 use, the tie plate is ordinarily so positi ned that one pair of shoulders bear firmly against one edge. of the rail base, while the others are spaced slightly there from, so as to permit the insertion therebetweenof a suitable wedge bar or similar device, to take up any play that might develop during continued use. For this purpose. a device such as that shown is preferably employed- This device includes a pair of oppositely tapered wedge bars 16 and 17. The wedge bar 16 bears against the shoulders 13, while the other bar 17 bears against the rail base and constitutes a key which may be driven longitudinally into wedging position between the bar 16 and the rail base. The bar 17 is retained in position by bending over the small end 18 thereof against the end of the bar 16. The'bar 16 surfaces 20 which cooperate with the shoulders 13 to prevent longitudinal displacement of the bar 16 relative to the tie plate. These surfaces 20 further prevent longitudinal creeping of the rail since any movement of the rail in either direction causes a corresporiding movement of the bars 16 and 17 therewith, thus causing one of the surfaces 20 to wedge the bars more firmly against the rail base.

, The tie plate 10 may be secured to the tie 11 in various ways. In the present instance,- however, spikes 21 of standard form are employed for this purpose, in a manner such as will now be described. The

ings 22 and 23, preferably in the form of rectangular slots, each having an outer subsurface of the rail plates of the required thickness.

the clips in rail grippin stantially upright and wall 23 and an inner undercut inclined end wall24. The side walls are substantiall upright. Clips 25 and 26 are provided or positioning in said openings. Each clip is substantially 'U-shaped and is formed with upper and lower legs 27-28 and 29-30, respectively, for embracing the edges of the rail base.

The, end of the lower leg-28-30 of each clip is beveled off as at 31-32 for wedging engagement with theundercut end wall 24 of each of the openings 22-23, so that when the clip is forced laterally into gripping position, the upper leg 27-28 is forced'into bindin contact with the upper base. The clips are preferably of a width to fit into the openings 22 and 23. The opening 23and the legs of the clip 26 are preferably somewhat longer than the opening 22 and the legs of the clip 25 in order to accommodate the bars 16 and 17, which extend between the legs 28 and 30 of the clip 26, Clips of this character may be readily produced from bars bent to the desired shape or stamped out of metal To secure spikes 21 are employed. hese spikes are inserted into the openings 22 and 23 behind the clips 25 and 26, respectively, with their heads projecting outwardly, and are then driven into the tie until their heads engage the tie plate. In this position the spikes not only secure the tie plate to the tiebut also serve to force and securely hold the clips in rail gripping position.

In the rail fastener shown in Figures at to 6, the tie plate '10 is similar in many respects to that just described. It is provided with upstandingshoulders 13 formed bybending up portions 14: of the edges of the tie plate. In this instance, however, these bent up portions do not extend to the ends of the tie plate. This tie plate is also provided with openings 33 for receiving rail clips- 34, such as shownin ,1" igure-7. Each clip 34 is substantially U-shaped to provide upper and lower legs 35 and 36 for embracing the edge of the rail base that portion of the clip joining the legs having upwardly converging inclined sides 37. The tie plate is also provided with bent up portions 38 overhanging each opening 33 and forming inclined surfaces 39 for cooperation with the inclined sides 37 of the.

clip to retain the clip against vertical movement. These bent up portions also provide shoulders 38 similar to the shoulders 13 for sustaining the side thrusts imposed upon the rail. Each clip is retained in rail pa g 1161' similar to that above described.

position, the

position by the spikes 21 in a mancut end wall, a clip insertable into said openthe edge of the rail base. In this instance,

however, the bar 16 is provided with protuberances'19' resentin reversal inclined surfaces 20 which cooperate with the shoulders 38' to prevent longitudinal displacement of' the bar 16 and longitudinal creeping of the'rail.

Various changes may be made in either of the embodiments of the invention hereinabove described, without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A rail fastener including a tie plate having an opening and an upwardly inclined face associated therewith, a substantially U-shaped rail clip, positioned therein and embracing an edge of a rail, said clip being arranged to bear against said inclined face, and an element positioned in said opening behind said clip for-retaining said clip in rail securing position.

2. A. rail fastener including a tie plate having an opening and an upwardly inclined face associated therewith, a substantially U-shaped rail clip positioned therein, beneath said inclined face, and embracing an edge of a rail, and a spike in said opening behind said clip for retaining said clip in rail securing, position.

3. A rail fastener including a tie plate having an opening extending beneath the raiha substantially U-shaped clip positioned therein and embracing the edge of a rail, and a spike in said opening behind said clip for retaining said clip in rail securing position and engaging the face of the tie plateto anchor thetie plate.

4. A rail fastener including a tie plate having an opening therein having an undercut wall, a clip having anupper member overhanging the edge of a rail and a lower member engaging said undercut wall, and an element positioned in said opening behind said clip to retain said clip in rail securing position.

5. A rail fastener including a tie plate having an opening therein having an under-- cut inclined wall, a clip having an upper member overhanging the edge of a rail base and a lower member engaging said inclined wall, and an element positioned in said opening behind said clip to retain said clip in rail securing position.

. 6. A rail fastener including a tie plate having an opening therein having an undering from above and having an upper member overhanging the edge of a rail base, and a lower member engaging said undercut Wall, and an element positioned in said opening behind said clip to retain said clip in rail securing position.

7. A rail fastener including a tie plate having an opening therein having an undercut inclined end wall, a clip insertable into said opening from above and having an upper member engaging over the edge of a rail base, and a lower member engaging said inclined wall, and a spike positioned in said opening behind said clip to retain said clip in rail securing position.

8. A rail fastener includin having upstanding shoulders f the side thrusts of a rail, means for retaining arail against vertical movement, and means including a pair of cooperating reversely tapered wedge bars between said shoulders and rail to take up any play therebetween.

9. A rail fastener including a tie plate having upstanding shoulders for sustaining the side thrusts of the rail, a substantially a tie plate or sustaining tic] U-shaped clip for binding a rail to said tie plate and means including a pair of reversely tapered wedge bars projecting through said clip and positioned between said shoulders and the rail to take up any play therebetween.

10. A rail fastener including a tie plate having upstanding shoulders for positioning on opposite sides of a rail, a bar for positioning between a rail and one of said shoulders and having an inclined surface for engagement therewith, and a tapered key insertable between said bar and rail to force said bar against said last named shoulder.

11. A rail fastener including a tie plate having a pair of shoulders arranged on'one 

